As United Methodist churches schism across the U.S., congregations in the Northwest remain intact

United Methodist churches in the West are a haven for progressive congregations even as thousands of churches in other parts of the country disaffiliate because the church ordains LBGTQ+ people.

Questions of whether ministers should marry same-sex couples or if the church hierarchy should allow LGBTQ people to hold leadership roles have been a divisive topic in many protestant denominations.

Beginning in 2019, the United Methodist church made it possible for any congregation to depart, or disaffiliate, if it received approval to leave by Dec. 31 of this year.

Of the roughly 30,000 United Methodist churches in the country, 7,500 have disaffiliated in the past three years.

Many of those churches that left because of the issue are located in the South where their theology may often differ from other regions, said the Rev. Paul Graves, a retired United Methodist minister from Sandpoint.

“The impression that many of us get is that the Methodist church in the southeast is more like the Southern Baptist church in being theologically conservative,” Graves said.

In the Northwest, many United Methodist church leaders take more pride in welcoming LGBTQ couples and leaders when compared to their counterparts around the country. Still, conversations have caused schisms in church communities and tough departures.

The Greater Northwest Episcopal Area is an organization headquartered in the Pacific Northwest that represents roughly 400 United Methodist churches across parts of four states: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. In 2023, 28 churches across this area voted to disaffiliate, said Kristen C. Caldwell, spokesperson for the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist church. That’s less than 10% of the region’s churches.

The Greater Northwest Area is split into three conferences: the Alaska Conference, the Pacific Northwest Conference and the Oregon-Idaho Conference.

One of 2023’s church departures happened in Alaska, while 16 came from the Pacific Northwest Conference. Eleven more took place in the Oregon-Idaho Conference.

“The Western districts have for a long time labeled themselves as leading the cutting edge of progressivism in the Methodist church,” Caldwell said. “The losses were felt deeply, and nobody wanted to see that happen in the Western jurisdiction.”

Pastor Alissa Amestoy has led the Spokane Valley United Methodist since July of last year. Amestoy is the first female pastor in the history of the church.

“Letting go of misogyny is one step toward letting go of discrimination toward the LGBTQ community,” Amestoy said.

As a pastor, Amestoy said she considers herself open and affirming and tries to cultivate a place of worship where everybody is welcome.

“We’re proud to be part of an annual conference that ordains LGBTQ members,” Amestoy said. “We believe God calls all types of people and does not discriminate based on gender or sexual preference.”

In 2016, the Pacific Northwest Conference adopted a public nondiscrimination statement on sexual orientation and gender identity for church leaders.

“For some time, our practice has been to affirm that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities can live up to our high standards for fitness, readiness, and effectiveness in ministry,” reads the statement. “We will continue to give all candidates equal consideration, as we believe it is the most faithful way to do our work.”

Not everybody in the Spokane Valley United Methodist Church agrees on every social issue, Amestoy said, but all are welcome.

“We are of the same mind in our mission to recognize what we’re about is much more important than getting involved in wasting our energy on arguing,” Amestoy said. “Biblically, we’re called to be agreeable in our disagreement. And we feel like we are able to do that.”

In Spokane County, none of the United Methodist congregations voted to disaffiliate, Amestoy said. It wasn’t even a consideration at the Spokane Valley church.

Tracy Simmons is a longtime religion reporter based in Spokane, the editor of FāVS News, a local faith, ethics and values publication, and an assistant professor at Washington State University.

In Simmons’ tenure as a religion reporter, she worked in Connecticut, Texas and Washington.

In the past three years, departures in the United Methodist church have marked the country’s biggest denominational divide since the Civil War, Simmons said.

“I think there’s a lot of grief that Methodists are dealing with right now,” Simmons said. “At the same time, I think it kind of paves the way for the future of the United Methodist church to adopt more progressive policies.”

In Spokane, Simmons said Protestant churches are middle-of-the-road in terms of their values.

“There are a lot of churches in Spokane that are open and affirming, but there are also a lot that are still having these difficult conversations,” Simmons said. “Do we allow queer clergy or women pastors?”

As churches across the country grapple with how to approach those conversations, church leaders are tasked with balancing wide ranges of congregational opinions.

“They love each other, but they’re divided on these social issues just like our country is,” Simmons said. “They have to figure out how to shepherd their congregations through these issues in a nondivisive way. It’s uncomfortable, but in the end, it moves us toward healing.”